Struggling with salinity sensor

[dragon99]

Definitely contact Neptune support. There's something going on that should be fixable, some kind of grounding/power/interference problem.

I have the new Apex, but my salinity is (was) pretty steady, except for my current problem of bubbles getting into the sensor. I re-arranged my sump and now my skimmer is blowing micro bubbles right under the probes.

 

[jgvergo]

I gave up on mine and I have slept much better ever since! Even if you solve you primary problem, you are likely to see the salinity level "drift" over time as micro bubbles make their way into the probe.

 

[Wiskey]

Okay,.. you convinced me. I put in a ticket with neptune support. I've never worked with them before, but I look forward to a new hope for having this work.

Whiskey

 

[TinyChocobo]

They respond pretty quickly.

 

[Wiskey]

I've been working with Neptune over the last couple days to troubleshoot. The rep came to the conclusion that when you switch on either bank (or both) of T5's, or turn off the return pump it causes incorrect Salinity readings.

He then inferred that I should replace the T5 ballasts, and return pump that because they are causing the incorrect readings. In my opinion, the T5 ballasts work perfect, the Eheim pump is fine, and this probe is the only thing that has any issues with them. I feel like they were just passing the buck. In his last email it was pretty clear that he didn't want to take the discussion any further. They did acknowledge that EMI can cause interference, but then quickly repeated that it was clear which devices were causing the problems.

I'm disappointed! I've been an apex fanboy ever since the original Apex JR and I really felt that all Apex stuff was top shelf so I didn't bother to research too much before I bought. I will be more careful in the future.

Whiskey

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I've been working with Neptune over the last couple days to troubleshoot. The rep came to the conclusion that when you switch on either bank (or both) of T5's, or turn off the return pump it causes incorrect Salinity readings.

He then inferred that I should replace the T5 ballasts, and return pump that because they are causing the incorrect readings. In my opinion, the T5 ballasts work perfect, the Eheim pump is fine, and this probe is the only thing that has any issues with them. I feel like they were just passing the buck. In his last email it was pretty clear that he didn't want to take the discussion any further. They did acknowledge that EMI can cause interference, but then quickly repeated that it was clear which devices were causing the problems.

I'm disappointed! I've been an apex fanboy ever since the original Apex JR and I really felt that all Apex stuff was top shelf so I didn't bother to research too much before I bought. I will be more careful in the future.

Whiskey

responses like this always baffle me. .lots of people here said it was electrical interference. then you call neptune and...they would no better than anyone... and they say.. its electrical interference likely from this or that.

So your response is.. ohh poooh pooo on neptune. boy, i wish i would have known they were such a horrible company. What did you expect them to do?? Send an electrician to your house to test for stray voltage?

Perhaps they have enough experience to know that if they sent you a brand new probe, you would be calling them back saying "this probe is broke too!!"

Be a man about it and try to take your ballasts offline for a day, maybe swap a pump out to see if that really was the problem. Do not just go cry foul because you didnt hear what you wanted to hear.

 

[justingraham]

responses like this always baffle me. .lots of people here said it was electrical interference. then you call neptune and...they would no better than anyone... and they say.. its electrical interference likely from this or that.

So your response is.. ohh poooh pooo on neptune. boy, i wish i would have known they were such a horrible company. What did you expect them to do?? Send an electrician to your house to test for stray voltage?

Perhaps they have enough experience to know that if they sent you a brand new probe, you would be calling them back saying "this probe is broke too!!"

Be a man about it and try to take your ballasts offline for a day, maybe swap a pump out to see if that really was the problem. Do not just go cry foul because you didnt hear what you wanted to hear.

Hum this is a weird reply

So if a company sold you a product one I would call expensive and it didn’t do what the company said it would do and then you found out half the people who bought the same product have the same problem you wouldn’t be mad you would just take your ballast and return pump offline?

When does it become Neptune’s fault instead of the ballast makers or heater makers or whomever? Neptune knows about the problem but instead of finding a different cable to use or don’t sell the sensor any more. Nah they got suckers out there so they continue to sell a product that works with half its customers and continue to claim that there is nothing wrong with there product and this is okay with you?

Here send me 300 dollars and I’ll send you a text about what your salinity is and if I’m wrong I’ll tell u the ballast interfeared with my ability to get it right change you ballast please.

We already know the ballast and the pump are the problem should he go without lights and without a return because Neptune’s sensor doesn’t comply with them? Or should he Go out and buy 700 dollars worth of equiptment so he can hope it doesn’t interfere with his salinity sensor that still even when it runs right has a point five swing daily?

I’m guessing you sold ur classic apex to get the trident because your going to eventually need probes anyway? And now you go around singing apex praises so u can hopefully be in inside member for the trident? Apex pick me because everything you do is right!!!!

How about the op can be mad he bought a product that doesn’t do what it’s suposed to he can have a response of oh poo poo as you said because he’s out three hundred dollars for a paper weight unless you want to buy it off him? Then I bet he would be happy.

Apex makes some good I’ll even say great equiptment but at the same time they make some bad ones as well( salinity probe, AFS, DO sensor, WAVs, optical sensors) it’s ok to admit it and it’s ok to be oh poo poo about it because when you spend the type of money we have on Apex stuff you kind of expect it to do a job it’s suposed to do.

So please don’t get mad over someone’s feelings because you could be one ballast away from your apex dumping your ATO water into your tank and killing your fish if you believed what Neptune said about this sensor.

 

[Wiskey]

responses like this always baffle me. .lots of people here said it was electrical interference. then you call neptune and...they would no better than anyone... and they say.. its electrical interference likely from this or that.

So your response is.. ohh poooh pooo on neptune. boy, i wish i would have known they were such a horrible company. What did you expect them to do?? Send an electrician to your house to test for stray voltage?

Perhaps they have enough experience to know that if they sent you a brand new probe, you would be calling them back saying "this probe is broke too!!"

Be a man about it and try to take your ballasts offline for a day, maybe swap a pump out to see if that really was the problem. Do not just go cry foul because you didnt hear what you wanted to hear.

It's all over their marketing! This should NOT be a problem because their probes are isolated. Here is the link to the marketing brochure:
https://www.neptunesystems.com/products/apex-controllers/apex-controller-system/

And here is the snippit referring to this topic:
Isolation by Wiskey2727, on Flickr

They didn't suggest how I could fix it, they didn't suggest how to ground it better, or isolate the probe, they just said that my other stuff is the cause. I'm not satisfied with that especially when their marketing says I shouldn't have this issue.

I know that removing all my lighting and my pump will fix the issue,.. But I can't have a tank with no light and no flow. Every T5 ballast I've tried causes the readings to be wrong, and I'm not willing to switch to LED for this.

Whiskey

 

[Wiskey]

And this is from the manual for the salinity module:
Manual by Wiskey2727, on Flickr

Full manual here, Page 3:
https://www.neptunesystems.com/downloads/docs/PM2_manual.pdf

Whiskey

 

[justingraham]

And this is from the manual for the salinity module:
Manual by Wiskey2727, on Flickr

Full manual here, Page 3:
https://www.neptunesystems.com/downloads/docs/PM2_manual.pdf

Whiskey

I do wonder if you plug this pm2 directly into the apex brain and have the other aquabus port open on the pm2 if that will stop the interference
if u tried this please disregard

 

[Norcalreef]

My salinity probe hasn’t given an accurate reading in the 2 months I’ve had it.
I also agree that Neptune customer service is not great for the premium price they charge. My apex went wonky a few weeks ago, started flashing randomly turning random outlets on and off. My only option was to email as they don’t have 24 hour tech support. After about a week of going back and forth through email, because I only get one email a day from them. They concluded that there was no evidence of any issue happening and there was nothing they could do.
I have a serious love hate relationship with my Apex. I have thousands of dollars in apex stuff and the customer service does not match the price paid.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

It is your setup causing problems, not the system itself. My salinity works fine and trust me, I have more current running through my setup than you do. I believe its around 26 amps all in.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Have you tested your ground circuit?